Tebeitoey



(No Model.)

v J. E. & E. W. BINGHAM.

' HORSESHOB. No.372,1'12.

Patented Oct. 25, 1887.

in C

Imriioro':

fDMwtm-uk w ww ctfmgg- UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

JOHN E. BINGHAM, OF WALLA \VALLA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, AND

' EDWARD 'VV. BINGHAM, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 372,112, dated October25, 1887.

Application filed July 25, 1887. Serial No. 245,164.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. BINGHAM, of \Valla \Valla, WashingtonTerritory, and ED- WARD W. BINGHAM, of Portland, Oregon, both citizensof the United States and of said Territory and State, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes;

and we do hereby declare the following to be a It is aw-ell-known factthat a horses foot expands at each step back of the nails which confineit to the shoe. Consequently, by reason of the inflexibility of theshoe, the bottom of the hoof at the heel rubs over the heelpieces of theshoe, producing a rubbing or chafing of the hoof upon the surface of theshoe, which, in connection with interposed sand and grit, cuts and wearsaway the hoof at the heel as fast as it grows, so that while the frontpart of the hoof, which is made fast to the shoe, lengthens by itsnatural growth, the rear part, by reason of its abrasion, does notincrease correspondingly in length. The consequence is that the heel orrear part of the foot is soon left without any support upon the shoe andan unequal bearing is produced for the foot, the whole weight beingthrown upon the fore part, whereas at least forty per cent. should besupported by the heel. As another evil consequence of this rubbing ofthe hoof at the heel upon the rigid surface of the shoe, an irritationis produced in the foot, which is the principal cause of what is knownasa corn in-the foot; and, in fact, this faulty point in the commonforms of horseshoes contributes largely to, if it does not causedirectly, the various diseases of the foot known as contraction, corns/dropped sole, and tender heels." 7

The object of our invention is to remedy this defect and protect theheel against being ground and worn away by friction with the shoe; andit consists in the combination, with the heel parts of the shoe, of aloose plate interposed between said parts and the hoof, the

plate. being so confined and secured to the hoof, in manner ashereinafter set forth, as to move therewith over the surface of the shoewhile it is retained in place by the shoe. The hoof is thus protectedfrom frictional contact with the shoe'as it naturally expands andcontracts at each step of the horse, the friction being made to takeplace between the plate and shoe,

so that the plate shall be worn instead of thehoof.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents an ordinary horseshoe, whichmay be of any of the wellknown forms and may be constructed with orwithout calks or other appendages. Upon the hoofside of the heelsectionsof the shoe we fit a fiat frietion-plate, B, having substantially thesame marginal configuration as the upper or hoof side of the shoe to becovered thereby. The forward end of each friction-plate B is preferablyformed with a lug or pin, 0, on its under side,'to fit intoa counterpartrecess or aperture in the shoe, whereby the friction-plate iskept frommoving longitudinally, and also confined laterally at said forward end,although left free to swing laterally at'its outer end over the surfaceofthe shoe. An outside lug or clip, D, is also formed upon the outeredge of the upper or outer side of the friction-plate to overlap andengage the outer edge and face of the hoof at this point when the shoeis secured in place, and thereby prevent an inward movement of the plateupon the hoof, while an outward movement thereof is prevented by meansof a bar-lug, E, which may be fitted and secured to the under side ofthe plate to project from its inner edge and engage the bar of the foot,in manner as described in E. V. Binghams pending applications forLetters Patent, Serial Nos. 227,418 and 243,929, or in other suitablemanner. By having'a series of these bar-lugs of different sizes, allinten changeable in their connection with the'plate, asel tion may bereadily made, in fitting a she of a lug which shall exactly meet therequirements as to the width of the bar of the hoof, so that the bar maybe closely clasped between the clips and lugs.

The nail-holes F F F, by means of which the shoe A is secured to thehoof, are formed, as usual, in that part of the shoe in front of thefriction-plates; but an eXt-ranail-l1ole may be made on each side backof the forward end of each friction-plate B, and an enlarged aperture,G, be formed in the plate to register with said nail-hole, so that thenail shall not interfere with the necessary movement of the plate,although passing through it.

It is evident that the means for confining the friction-plate betweenthe shoe and the hoof, so that it shall be free to move with the hoofover and upon the shoe, and the rubbing and chafing at this point shallbe thereby confined to the opposed surface of the plate and shoe. may begreatly varied without departing from our invention.

in Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which the friction-plate is formedwith two thin lateral ears, H H, at its forward end to project from itsouter edges and embrace the shoe between them, as an equivalent for thepivotal pin 0, or as an auxiliary thereto.

The friction-plates may be made in malleable east-iron or drop-forged,preferably the latter in steel, and tempered pretty hard.

The bar-lugs are made with short rivets,and when adjusted are made fastto the plate by upsetting the rivet in the usual manner.

The plates are preferably to be made in a series of sizes of about fourdifferent curves and with about four different lengths for each curve,so that a selection may be made to fit different feet without thenecessity of heating or bending the plates to obtain a fit.

In the use of our invention the shoe operates to keep eachfriction-plate up tightly against the hoof, and the bar-lug, beingfitted tightly over the bar of the foot close to the heel and theoutside clip against the outer rim of the hoof, the plate moves with thehoof as part thereof and slips laterally to and fro on top ofthe shoe asthe hoof expands and conural proportion of support.

\Ve are aware that detached plates have heretofore been secured to thehoof independently of the shoe to serve as auxiliary means for confiningthe shoe. Our invention, however, does not assist in securing the shoe,but the plate is left free to move over the face of the shoe, ashereinbefore fullyset forth.

In some cases our invention may be advantageously applied to one sideonly of a horseshoe, aud we contemplate the use of the friction-platewith one or both sides of the shoe in manner as set forth.

\Ve claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the heel part of ahorseshoe, of a friction-plate interposed between said heel part and thehoof to which the shoe is attached, and confined to the hoof to movewith it over theshoe, substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein set forth.

2. The combination of the horseshoe A,frietion-plate attached at itsforward end to the shoe upon its upper or hoof surface and left free toswing and slide thereon at its rear end, and the clamping-lugs D and E,adapted to clasp each side of the hoof close to the heel, and therebyconfine the rear end of the plate to the hoof, to move with it,substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN E. BING'IIAM. EDWARD \V. BINGHAM.

\Vilnesses:

S. H. HUBBARD, F. XV. SMITH, Jr.

